MPIHDH Spits: We will take our case to the ICC, if FG fails to terminate the contract of Tantita Security

The Movement for the Protection of Iwere Homeland, Development and History, MPIHDH, Worldwide, has threatened to take its case to the International Criminal Courts of Justice, ICC, if the Federal Government, “fails to terminate the pipeline surveillance contract of TANTITA.”

The National President of Movement for the Protection of Iwere Homeland, Development and History, Worldwide, Comrade Barrister Aderojor James Ologhojoba Ereku, handed down the warning in an electronic statement sent to Fresh Angle International last night, Thursday December 19.

Barr. Ereku, who is an Abuja-based Human Rights Lawyer and Activist, averred inter-alia: “The  apex Itsekiri socio-cultural organization, Movement for the Protection of Iwere Homeland, Development and History (MPIHDH) Worldwide wishes to state unequivocally and  without any form of ambiguity that it will not rest on   it's oars to vigorously and consistently pursue the  just and righteous  cause to always put the collective survival, wellbeing,  peace and security of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality and security of  their ancestral homeland far and above any other considerations no matter the circumstances it may find itself or whose horse is gored in the process of speaking the hard truth to power   in Itsekiri nation, Delta State, the Niger Delta region, Nigeria and globally. 

“The MPIHDH hereby openly  puts on NOTICE all those who directly or indirectly benefits from the relentless assaults, invasions of Itsekiri communities, forceful annexation and illegal change of Itsekiri communities aboriginal names to fraudulent Ijaw names,  and  the overwhelming  evidence from different victims  of deliberate gross violations of the fundamental rights of the Itsekiri people contrary to the extent laws of Nigeria and other international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory that enough is enough.

“There has been countless confirmed reports of daily assaults on different Itsekiri ancestral homeland and the unacceptable inhuman and degrading treatments law abiding  Itsekiris going about their daily legitimate businesses, are being subjected to by TANTITA SECURITY LIMITED, a company owned by Government Ekpemupolo Tompolo. The MPIHDH has a comprehensive and detailed dossier of the traumatic experience our innocent people are passing through in the hands of TANTITA SECURITY LIMITED personnel. We will not allow the unconstitutional and illegal activities of TANTITA in Iwereland  to be swept under the carpet, without bringing all those behind such threats to the peace and security of our people to book.

“We are going to legally invoke the enforcement of the fundamental and inalienable rights of the Itsekiri people to live safely and securely in their homeland as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria (as amended) and other regional, continental and  international conventions, under which the fundamental rights of our people to right to life, dignity of the human person, right to fair hearing, right to an identity, right to freely live in their ancestral homeland without any form external aggression,  intimidation, molestations, harassments, right to freedom of movement, right to peaceful assembly, right to freedom from discrimination, right to freedom of expression etc are fully secured and  protected. 

“The MPIHDH will also explore all available legal means in conjunction with other patriotic Itsekiris in Nigeria and the diaspora to make sure that the Federal Government of Nigeria including the NNPCL, who intentionally issued the pipeline surveillance contracts in Itsekiri homeland to Tompolo, despite our vehement public opposition to such dangerous move from the onset considering his past antecedents and continued threats to the peace and security of our people and communities, are held accountable strictly and vicariously for the inhuman treatments, illegal detention of our people and trauma committed by TANTITA SECURITY LIMITED AND TOMPOLO against our law abiding people, before the International Criminal Courts of Justice for providing the necessary financial wallchest in terms of billions of naira and heavy  security protection to TANTITA SECURITY LIMITED to unleash mayhem and pains on our people.

“We publicly avow that if both Federal Government and the NNPCL wilfully neglects, deliberately refuses and unconscionably fails to terminate the pipeline surveillance contract of TANTITA to secure crude oil pipelines in Itsekiri homeland, which has gradually grown to become a constant source of potential threat to the collective survival, wellbeing, peace, and safety of the lives and security of our people and communities. We will not fold our arms and sit by and allow the same Federal Government, who completely abandoned the Itsekiri ethnic nationality during the Warri crisis, without providing the necessary and adequate security protection for our people and communities to once again trade off the collective survival and safety of the lives and property of our people on the alter of economic exigencies in the name of boosting daily crude oil production. We will not allow that terrible mistake of waiting and thinking that the government will protect us and they completely failed in their primary constitutional duties to repeat itself again.

“While the apex Itsekiri socio-cultural organization the MPIHDH will continue to  uphold the fundamental tenants and  rights of others to the freedom of expression as provided under our extant laws and international conventions to which Nigeria is signatory to,  we will vehemently resist any deliberate  attempt by any individual or group of persons to mischievously and deliberately misinform His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, His Excellency, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori,  relevant security agencies,  and the general public about the true facts and untold sufferings our people are being subjected to as it relates to  the grave  dangers and security threats the nefarious and criminal activities of TANTITA SECURITY LIMITED poses to the Itsekiri ethnic nationality and it's survival.

“We therefore categorically condemns in the strongest terms whatsoever the unpatriotic public statements credited to the duo of Barrister Esimaje Awani and Dr Martins Otuedon that were copiously published on various news outlets which appears to be a desperate and calculated move to throw a spanner in the wheels of progress of the recent alarm raised by members of the MPIHDH and other concerned Itsekiri Stakeholders through an open petition to Mr President through the law firm of Chief Robinson Ariyo and Co dated 16th of December, 2024.

“Without mincing words, we find their statements as not a sub-terrene plot to pour cold water on our efforts and the collective sacrifices of patriotic Itsekiris who publicly marched and protested to the Koko, the headquarters of Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State on the 17th day of December, 2024, it is public an unfortunate  play to the gallery  by the duo in openly declaring as false the overwhelming and compelling evidence by their own people who are eyewitnesses from various Itsekiri communities who have personally witnessed the first hand inhuman treatments and invasion of their ancestral homeland by TANTITA SECURITY LIMITED personnel. It is therefore callous and unpatriotic to attempt to truncate the efforts of your people in trying to draw the attention of the relevant persons and authority to save the situation before it gets out of hand. It is only in Itsekiri that an Itsekiri man will put his personal gains far and above that of the collective survival of his people and communities.”

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